In a protective garment of the type noted above, it has been known for the liner providing the moisture barrier to be inwardly folded over the thermal liner so as to form a hem, which extends for about one inch and which is sewn to the thermal liner.
When a protective garment of the type noted above becomes wet with water reaching beyond such a hem at the distal edge of an arm of a protective coat, reaching beyond such a hem at the lower edge of a protective coat, or reaching beyond such a hem at the distal edge of a leg of a pair of protective pants, particularly if the thermal liner has a fibrous core, water can be wicked by and through the thermal liner, which can become damp, soggy, and uncomfortable to the wearer of the protective garment.
Heretofore, as an expedient to prevent water from being wicked by and through the thermal liner, it has been known to apply a water-repellant finish, such as a Teflon™ or Scotchguard™ finish, to the inwardly facing surface of the thermal liner. U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,754 B1 discloses a firefighting garment of related interest.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,153 discloses an apparel liner of related interest. The apparel liner has a first vapor barrier layer and a second vapor barrier layer, each of substantially moisture impervious material, and a layer of fibrous, thermal insulating material between the first and second vapor barrier layers.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/894,187, which was filed on Jul. 19, 2004, by Alan W. Schierenbeck et al. and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a composite structure of related interest.